Alternative to Crystal Reports
Leave the legacy
behind.
Crystal Reports has been a reporting staple for decades — but it's tied to Windows, desktop tooling, and SAP's ecosystem. Presswerk is a modern, web-based alternative that runs anywhere.
Why teams migrate from Crystal Reports
It still works — but the world has moved on.
Windows-only
Crystal Reports Designer requires Windows. In a world of Mac, Linux, and remote-first teams, that's a hard constraint.
SAP dependency
Now part of SAP BusinessObjects. Licensing, support, and roadmap decisions are tied to SAP's enterprise strategy.
No modern workflows
No version control, no environments, no scheduled delivery. Reports are designed locally and deployed manually.
Side by side
| Presswerk | Crystal Reports | |
|---|---|---|
| Report designer | Browser-based | Windows desktop app |
| Platform | Any OS / Docker | Windows only |
| Version control | Built-in | Not available |
| Environments | Dev / Staging / Prod | Not available |
| Scheduled delivery | Built-in | Requires BusinessObjects |
| Data sources | SQL, REST, GraphQL | ODBC, OLE DB, JDBC |
| Self-hostable | Docker image | Windows Server (IIS) |
| Starting price | Free / €99 per month | ~$500 perpetual + SAP support |
What you get with Presswerk
A modern reporting platform that doesn't feel like 2005.
Works on any platform
Browser-based editor. Deploy on Linux, Mac, or Windows. No platform lock-in.
Modern data sources
Connect REST APIs and GraphQL endpoints — not just ODBC connections.
Version control built in
Every change tracked. Roll back anytime. Test in staging before going to production.
Automated delivery
Schedule reports to generate and deliver automatically. No manual exports.
Ready to automate
your PDF reporting?
Start in the SaaS free tier, or talk to us about self-hosting, SSO, audit logs, and enterprise support.